..It’s babaric —ULC
..As Police probe killing of
…10-yr-old boy

By Victor Ahiuma-Young, Evelyn Usman, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinonso Alozie

OWERRI—As scathing condemnation continues to trail the brutal murder of 10-year old Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, has said it did not come into the Ekeukwu Owerri saga on its own.

The Brigade’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Captain Haruna Timothy Tagwai, disclosed this, yesterday, when Vanguard sought to know how the Army got involved in the Ekeukwu Owerri market crisis.

Astonished traders look on during the demolition of Ekeukwu Owerri market . Photo by Chidi Nkwopara

“Read my rejoinder. Again, it was a joint operation. The Army did not come there on  its own. We are part of the security of the state,” Tagwai said.

While saying that the soldiers and Air Force personnel were “deployed at the outer cordon of the entry and exits of the market to prevent miscreants from looting,” the PRO also disclosed that they were not close to the demolition site.

“On all these, the heads of services were on hand to supervise the work. The army respects the sanctity of life and protects same as a duty,” Captain Tagwai said.

Asked to explain why soldiers now force people walking along Douglas Road to raise their hands and sometimes, forced to frog-jump, the PRO said some miscreants had weapons on them.

“Some miscreants had weapons on them. Therefore, there is the need for people passing to raise their hands for the safety of all. About those being flogged and frog-jumped, if there are pictures, it will help us discipline those involved because, no one is supposed to be molested,” Tagwai said.

Economic activities grounded

Meanwhile, economic activities in Ekeukwu Owerri and around the adjoining streets have grounded  to a halt .

Vanguard, who took a tour of the troubled area, noticed that all the commercial banks shut their doors against customers.

“The economy is in serious trouble. The commercial banks were closed for business. I really can’t understand what is happening. I  do not know if government really knows the number of people that have been thrown out of business,” Miss Joy Okoroafor lamented.

At press time, vehicles were barred from entering Douglas Road through the Ama J.K and Emmanuel College ends, while the family of the slain Somtochukwu Ibeanusi have cried out that the police have seized the tally issued to them by the morgue attendants of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.

It’s babaric—ULC

Also yesterday, United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, described the demolition of the market as barbaric, unconscionable and out of tune with the dictates of modern societies that thrive on strict adherence to the  rule of law and natural justice.

In a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, the group lamented that the demolition allegedly supported by the Army, the Police and other armed groups both legal and illegal, led to loss of lives, hospitalization of many others, and destruction of property running into billions of Naira.

It’s illegal —NOPRIN

In a related development,  a network of 49 civil society organisations under the umbrella of Network on Police Reform in Nigeria,NOPRIN, has described the demolition as illegal and disregard to a restraining court order.

A letter signed by the national coordinator, NOPRIN, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma and addressed  to  the president, said the demolition “is illegal and criminal because it was carried out in utter disobedience of a court order restraining the governor from taking the action pending the determination of the substantive matter before the court.

“The deployment of soldiers is unlawful and unwarranted since it was purely a civil dispute. We call for an investigation to determine whether the deployment of the military to aid the governor in  the  lawless act received the approval of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.”

Police probe killing of 10-yr-old boy

He, however, said investigation into the death of the killing of the 10 -year-old boy had begun, with a view to ascertaining the exact cause  and bring the perpetrators to book.